Navigating the backwaters of Kerala

Kerala is a south-western Indian state that offers good weather almost all year round and great places to explore.

During one of my trips to India my family and I stayed in a houseboat for a night. These houseboats, originally called “Kettuvallams” were used to carry rice and spices and now have been remodeled to serve tourists with the unique experience of navigating the backwaters of Kerala, which consists of a series of canals, rivers and lakes that interconnect and meet with sea water from the Arabian Sea.

The houseboats are pretty comfortable, they have spacious rooms, western-style toilettes, and a dining and living room area which is not covered so you get to enjoy the view while chilling and eating some good south indian cousine. You will need a good mosquito repelent though and you’ll be good to go.

During the day you will navigate around different canals,some areas look like they’re untouched by humas, and in others you can see people going about their lives in the river banks. If you are brave enough you can even take a little dip in the water, but I’m not too sure it’s a good idea. My brother and father swam in the water and they were just fine, so maybe I was just a little chicken back then.

At night the houseboat will stop it’s journey and spend the night in the lake with a beautiful sky covered in stars above you. I remember really appreciating this moment and just lying on deck relaxing.During my stay in the boat we had an onboard cook, so we enjoyed some fresh idlis and dosas and delicious fish curry.

Unfortunately I have no pictures of my own from that trip. You can visit http://keralahouseboat.in/ for more information on the houseboat trips

The images below are from the most recent promotion campaign by Kerala Tourism, called “Kerala Great Backwaters”, you can check it out at http://greatbackwaters.com/ and follow them on social media for more information on this fascinating part of India.